TURKS AND CAICOS FISHERIES, REPRESENTED IN BOSTON

BOSTON, Massachusetts; Sunday, February 24, 2008 – A contingent of local seafood exporters from the Turks and Caicos Islands (TCI) are in Boston attending the world's largest gathering to the commercial seafood industry.

The team, lead by Minister of Natural Resources, the Hon. McAllister Hanchell and Hon. Samuel Been, Chairman of the Fisheries Advisory Committee, supported by TCIvest and the TCI Tourist Board, were there, along with four of the country's main seafood processing companies to the International Boston Seafood Show, where they are promoting our native conch and lobster to thousands of potential buyers from around the world.

The three-day convention commenced today, Sunday, through to Tuesday, February 26, and is being held at the Boston Convention and Exhibition Center in Down Town Boston. Representatives from Caicos Pride Products Ltd, LTC Fisheries/Lobsters, Provo Seafood, Quality Seafood and Shabay's Seafood are on hand to meet potential clients, create new avenues for doing business, cement those that exist; and discuss new marketing, distribution and sales opportunities.

The annual event attracts close to 20,000 attendees from 90 countries, and the average attendee is responsible for more than US$3 million in seafood purchases annually.

These representatives are using the event to promote our two main exports: the Queen Conch and the Caribbean Spiny Lobster. The TCI is the world's second leading exporter of conch, and one of the few Caribbean countries not restricted by CITES (Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species) export regulations that penalize countries with poor conservation practices.

As of late, Conch has been an emerging delicacy in many parts of the world; as a result of the limited availability, it has driven prices up worldwide. Lobster, is also a major export for the TCI, and the government is exploring the potential of commercial farming of the local species, similar to the groundbreaking work being done by the world's only Conch Farm located in Providenciales.

Further, the conference features seafood processing exhibitions that showcases the newest technology and techniques for efficient and safe seafood processing, which can be applied to the Turk and Caicos Industry. The event also offers informative sessions on topics such as importing seafood into the United States, developing seafood-farming practices, and dealing with a complex supply chain.

It is here, where representatives from major distributors, restaurant chains and wholesalers use the event to research and make agreements with new sources of seafood product for their consumers. And it is here; the TCI contingent is ensuring that they too are represented on the world's stage and apart of this global business.

TCInvest, the government agency chartered with assisting locally owned businesses and entrepreneurs, is sponsoring the group's attendance to the event, thereby encouraging small business development in and around the country's fishing industry.

"This is a tremendous example of government partnering with private industry to achieve mutual goals," said Hon. Hanchell. "We want broader exposure for our fishery and our export products, and we also want to instill a 'best practices' mentality across our local industry."

Minister Hanchell added that through this partnership, "we can effectively promote the best of what the Turks and Caicos Islands have to offer to the seafood industry around the world."

END

Courtney S. Robinson
Director, GIS
Office of the Premier,
Grand Turk,
Turks and Caicos Islands.
Tel: (649) 946-2801, ext.40916
Fax: (649) 946-1311
Email: c.robinson@gov.tc